Rom. 15:3 "Even Christ pleased not himself..." My struggle is to do the same...not to please myself, but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God. And in the struggle...life happens. All work herein is Copyrighted and may not be distributed, copied or published without the prior consent of the author. Copyright 2005-2015. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Friendship With God

Just a quick note. I am not always able to keep up with my friends and relatives as much as I would like. But I do want to tell you all that God is good. A relatively new friend, in what I thought was blossoming into a very precious friendship recently called me with the following words: Don't call me. Don't stop in. You're not the kind of person I want as a friend. Dial tone.

I think she could have done less damage with a club to my gut. Every neurotic thought I had ever had about not being good enough seemed to be echoed in her words. You aren't good enough for me.But as I thought about it and went to the Lord with my agony, he reminded me that he too hears that all the time. He hears it from the lost, and he even hears it from those that are his at times.

Sometimes Christians will read something in the Word that they just don't like, or something goes on in their life that they don't want and refuse to see as coming from the hand of a loving God and so they throw up their hands and say "no more". Maybe it's the result of unrepentant sin that they slowly turn away and harden their hearts, but they will say the same thing. Don't talk to me. I don't want to hear it. You aren't my idea of who God should be. I don't want you for a friend.Wow.

But you know what else he brought to mind? John 15:15, where it says that Jesus says that he calls us friends. What need do I have to tear myself up because this woman thinks I am unworthy? Jesus himself has said that he wants to be my friend. Job lamented for the days when God's friendship blessed his house. (Job 29:4) He actually talked about God's intimate friendship. That is hard to misconstrue. I have a God who wants to be my friend.

As for worth. In real estate, do you know what determines worth? Only one thing. What someone is willing to pay for it. A listing price is my best guess, based on what people have paid for similar properties, for what someone will pay for a piece of real estate. There is no objective standard that predicts with certainty the value. But do you know what determines my worth? That God was willing to give up his only son. That Jesus was willing to give up his own life, and suffer greatly for me. The ultimate price shows my value before the Lord.

Should it matter that a "friend" does not find me worthy? My God finds me of great value and worthy of friendship.

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About Me

Kim Bentz, Writer and Photographer, living in Viriginia (Washington, D.C. metro area). Graduate of Colorado Springs Christian School, Student at American Military University. Government contractor by day.

Kim lives with her husband of 30+ years, nearly 2000 books, a great collection of jazz records, and thousands of photographs taken all over.

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